May We Be Truly Thankful
by Mustard Lady
Summary: Mark, Steve, and their family are all looking forward to spending Thanksgiving Day together, and a good friend from the old days-can you guess who?- is on his way to join them too! But before company arrives, Steve-of course, who else?-has a street accident and ends up in the hospital, which threatens to thwart the Sloans from enjoying their family celebration together.
1. Chapter 1 Be Careful

**Well, I cannot believe it is officially November, Thanksgiving month. I'm still working on my fanfic Beyond Routine, and hope it's getting better as it goes along.**

 **I hope you like this story. It's based on a real experience that happened to my family, to our dad back in 2009...on Thanksgiving Day! Except that in our case, it was a four-wheeler, not a dirt bike. So, any details that seem impossible in real life, it happened! And since our dad acts a lot like Steve Sloan when it comes to being bed-ridden and when he's being moody, it seemed so perfect for this. I don't own Diagnosis Murder, but I do own my OC characters Stacy, Kat, and Annie. Story takes place between seasons 4 and 5 of DM, definitely after the episode _Murder in the Family_. I'm excited to share this fanfic with you. Feel free to leave a review. Oh, and guess _who_ returns for the holiday?! If you like this story, please let me know.**

* * *

It was unusually cloudy and gray for Thanksgiving Day, but the Sloan family didn't really care. For the first time in ages, they would all be able to spend the holiday together! Mark had been working too many extra shifts at the hospital for the passed month, and Norman Briggs actually demanded that he for once, should enjoy the holiday at home. Stacy and Kat were both on Thanksgiving vacation from school, and Steve had convinced one of his coworkers-who was looking for some overtime and a little extra pay-to take his place for the day at the station. Actually, his boss ordered Steve to stay home for the holiday because he was plain exhausted. 17-year-old Stacy and 15-year-old Kat had been dusting and polishing throughout the house the day before and Mark had cooked the turkey that night; Stacy had baked and decorated her turkey, leaf, and pumpkin shaped sugar cookies; Kat and Mark had worked together on the mashed potatoes, so they'd have less hassle in preparations today.

This morning had begun with a sense of anticipation in the air. Mark and the girls, along with their dog, Annie had gotten up together for breakfast, then tackled projects. They let Steve sleep in, also to keep him from getting under foot as they finished getting things ready for company. He'd been working way too hard with the grueling tasks he'd been assigned, and his family had promised to ruthlessly insure that he had lots of relaxation. By mid-morning, Steve emerged out of bed and made his way to the kitchen. The wonderful smells of cinnamon, nutmeg, and apple pie spice cooking altogether made his stomach growl hard and his mouth water. He could see that the house was mostly spik and span. Annie was sitting on the kitchen floor, eagerly keeping an eye on the oven, sniffing the scrumptious scent of pumpkin pie baking! Kat walked in with a bag of candy corn and candy pumpkins and set them on the counter. "Morning." She greeted Steve.

"Morning." Steve smiled. "What smells so good? My breakfast I hope."

"Not 'til tomorrow." Kat teased, referring to all the rich leftovers they were guaranteed to be stuck with for at least a week.

"The house looks great." Steve smiled, looking around.

"Thanks." Kat smiled. Just then, Mark and Stacy appeared.

"Morning, Steve!" Mark smiled widely at his son.

"Hey." Steve responded.

"How did you sleep?" Stacy asked.

"Pretty good, actually." Steve answered, scratching the back of his head, running his fingers through his tousled hair. "Things look nice, Dad. What else needs to be done?"

"Just the vacuuming, cleaning the bathrooms, and spraying the windows." Mark replied.

"Hmm. Maybe I can help with that. Looks like you guys have been working hard."

"Dad, it's your day off." Kat protested.

"Yeah, which means I can do anything I want. And I want to help." Steve smirked.

"Steve, we promised that you'd get lots of rest." Mark argued.

"Please." Steve rolled his eyes."You guys are making me look bad. All this party progress you've done is making me feel lazy." His family giggled.

"We also still need to make the pumpkin crunch, and I need to make my triple-layer spice pie." Stacy stated. "Plus the stuffing and green bean casserole."

"Boy, and we still asked our guests to bring food to _contribute?"_ Steve interjected. "Dad, do you realize what all that starch, sugar, butter, and carbohydrates could do to us?" Mark chuckled.

"Steve, it's only once a year." He grinned. "We've made it this far, I don't think another splurge will kill us right off."

"Okay, you're the doctor." Steve raised his eyebrows.

* * *

Steve got dressed and his family members continued to get things ready for the family gathering tonight and shared a light lunch. Their guests were arriving at 4:30 P.M. Amanda was coming with her toddler CJ, and she was bringing the dinner rolls; Jessie was bringing himself and sodas, along with a few of their favorite games; Norman had been invited, but he was going to spend Thanksgiving with his mother. Delores was bringing sparkling white grape juice, and she had the cranberry sauce, sweet potatoes, and more green bean casserole; _and_ best of all, Jack Stewart was in town for the holiday and promised to come early! Everyone was so excited to be seeing him again. Sadly, Mark's daughter Carol Sloan-Hilton said that she couldn't make it, but she had talked with her dad, brother, and nieces on the phone, wishing them each a blessed Thanksgiving. Mark was disappointed that she wouldn't be here, but the house would still be filled to the brim with loved ones, so that helped warm the longing in his heart.

Steve smiled as he heard happy voices through the house singing. Mark had turned on a Christmas CD to get them in the mood for excitement. It reminded Steve of his wife, Julie when they were getting to know each other and he'd bring her over to his apartment or Mark's house: she could at times be found singing and dancing around the kitchen or house with Mark as they cooked or cleaned. It had been eleven years since she'd passed away, but different parts of her still lived on in Steve's two daughters, which made him proud.

* * *

It was only an hour and a half before company was supposed to arrive. Most of everything was practically ready, just the last minute things needed attention. Kat and Stacy were setting the counters and tables with the food and decorations. Steve snuck up behind them and dug his hand into the candy dish of candy corns and pumpkins. He took a large handful and smirked, dropping them into his mouth. "Dad!" The girls scolded, half-laughing.

"Hey, you know I like my candy corn." Steve smiled defensively. "It's my favorite."

"Yeah," Stacy interjected, "but don't eat _all_ of it!"

"Anything else I can do to help?" Steve offered.

"No." Kat shook her head.

"Well, I guess I'll go take a quick shower and change into something nicer." Mark stated.

"Okay. We've got this." Kat agreed, and Mark walked out. Steve sat on the edge of the counter, snacking. He couldn't help admire how much his daughters were growing up as he watched them. To him, they were still like little girls playing house. "I need to get dressed too."

"So do I." Stacy nodded. "I can't wait for Jack to get here!"

" _Me either."_ Kat agreed. Though he'd been living in Colorado for some time and it had been ages since they'd seen him, Jack had always felt like an older brother to the Sloan girls, especially Kat. "Uh, Dad?"

"Hmm? What did I do now?" Steve asked innocently, slipping one of Stacy's sugar cookies between his fingers.

"We, uh, kind of need the..." Kat pointed to where he was sitting, hinting that they needed the counter space.

"Oh." Steve stood up. He opened the lid on the pot of mashed potatoes sitting on the stove warming up and was about to dip his fingers in.

"Ah, ah, aha! Here, use this." Kat protested and handed him a spoon. Steve lifted a spoonful to his mouth. The girls watched him.

"Well, how are they?" Stacy asked.

"Mmm. They're good!" Steve nodded, licking the spoon.

"Doesn't need any more salt?" Kat inquired.

"No. They're perfect." Steve licked his lips.

"Good. I'm just glad that they're all done and I _don't_ have to make anymore!" Kat exclaimed in relief. Peeling and cutting potatoes was NOT her favorite part of cooking, but that was also mostly because Stacy was allergic to potato skins. Mark had run many tests to rule out the cause, but all they could figure out was that her sinuses and fair skin were very sensitive to the dirt and raw potato skin. She could poke potatoes for baking if she washed her hands after, but peeling she couldn't handle. Her fingers would puff up, her nose would get runny, her eyes would water, and she would start wheezing. So, from now on if Mark or Steve wasn't around to assist, all potato peeling fell on Kat's shoulders and it was overwhelming especially for a holiday like this!

Steve chuckled. "At least Dad helped this time." Kat nodded, wide-eyed in agreement.

"They're delicious." Then he grabbed another cookie.

"Hey, those are for later." Stacy grinned.

"Hey, what's a good cook without taste-testers?" Steve asked with a mouthful of cookie and icing. "Mmm!" He grunted, shaking his head. "You know, you really need to hide these. They're addicting. Bad for my blood sugar."

"Well, you don't _have_ to eat them." Kat said.

"I've got nothing better to do." Steve shrugged. "Anything else I can help with?"

"No thanks. We're good." Both girls answered. Steve was bored, and everything was just about ready for company. He had to do _something_ to occupy himself, besides stuffing himself with all the delicious goodies in the kitchen.

"Well, guess I'll go find something to do, seeing as I'm not needed here." Steve muttered sarcastically, grabbing another cookie. "Maybe I'll take the bike for a spin." He said, starting to walk away.

"Oh, be careful!" Stacy warned, wide-eyed.

"Of _what?"_ Steve retorted, the same way he always did.

"Just be careful." Stacy answered, the same way she always did.

"Yes, _mommy."_ Steve smirked, rolling his eyes and grabbed _another_ cookie.

" _Dad,"_ Stacy sighed.

"Have fun." Kat added. Steve just smiled mischievously and headed outside. The minute he shut the door behind him, the girls burst out giggling.

* * *

Steve put on his riding gear and zoomed out of the garage on his dirt bike, cheering and hollering like a wild teenage boy. He took it down on the sand, racing along the shoreline back and forth. Seeing as most of the neighbors who lived on the beach were most likely preparing for their own Thanksgiving family gatherings, there was really nobody on the beach, so Steve had free way of the sand.

Kat and Stacy heard the roar of the dirt bike down the hill on the sand and both peeked out the window. It was cloudy outside and with no pedestrians down there, it was easy to spot their father, acting like a kid. "Ohhh, be careful, Dad," Stacy gritted her teeth with worry as she watched the speed he was zooming at.

"He's fine." Kat muttered. Steve had played on the dirt bike for years, and he'd usually turned up back in one piece. Stacy and Mark just wanted to make sure it stayed that way. Steve did a few high jumps and very sharp spins.

"Eee," Stacy gulped. "Dad, watch it!"

"He's okay." Kat shook her head in annoyance. Then Steve took a few high flying jumps.

"Oh," Stacy covered her eyes with her hands, cringing. "I can't look anymore!" She sputtered dramatically, shaking her head and walked away from the French patio door. Kat just laughed and rolled her eyes.

"I think it's cool." She said casually as she watched Steve ride perched up on _one_ tire. "Oh, he's doing a wheely," Kat said on purpose, pushing Stacy's buttons.

"How?" Stacy asked.

"Upwards," Kat grinned. "He better not fall backwards..."

"Stop!" Stacy raised her hands in the air.

"Oh, he's doing another one."

"I think I'll finish cleaning the main bathroom, then get dressed." Stacy groaned, walking away.

"Okay." Kat shrugged. "I'm gonna watch the fun." Then Steve slowed down a bit and headed back up towards the house, heading for the garage. "Aw, rats." Kat muttered. "He stopped too soon." Then she walked away from the door too.

Steve halted inside the garage, and threw off his helmet and gloves. He sat there, trying to figure out what to do next. He still had some leisure time to spare, and after all, he _was_ on vacation. It was time to do what he wanted, and he felt like playing some more on the bike. "Why don't we take a little ride down the street, nice and slow?" he asked himself. "No tricks, I promise." Leaving the helmet and the gloves, he drove out on low speed around the block, wondering if he'd possibly spot Jack's car on the way.

* * *

Steve had almost finished his second lap around the block and was carefully driving up the street towards his house, proudly gloating over how he could brag to everyone, especially Mark, that he had taken the bike out to have some fun and had returned without a scratch. The street was smooth with no potholes. He was a house away from his residence when it happened, whatever _it_ was! One second he was driving along slowly, and then? The bike went completely whack before Steve had time to realize what was happening and he blacked out for a few seconds.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the merged gray and white of the cloudy sky above him. He grunted in pain. "W-what...what just happened?" He asked no one in particular. He was flat on his back, lying in the grass of someone's lawn and his right leg felt like it was on fire. He tried to move his head and look around to get his bearings, but his thoughts felt foggy. His left leg was perched atop the dirt bike, which was laying on top of his right leg. From what he could barely see, thankfully, his leg _wasn't_ on fire, but man, it hurt! And the whole right side of his body felt as if it was being roughly rubbed back and forth with sandpaper. "Ohhh," Steve groaned in pain and aggravation, rolling his eyes, "I am _never_ gonna hear the end of this!" He winced.


	2. Chapter 2 Stay Calm

**Well, it is the beginning of the second week of November, _sooo_** **I thought I'd start it off with the next chapter of this fanfic. So, what do you think so far? What do you think of Jack returning for the holiday? Reviews are welcome!**

* * *

Mrs. Shelly Carter, the neighbor whose lawn Steve had landed on, told her husband she'd thought she'd heard a crash outside. Mr. Carter didn't give it much thought, but she insisted on checking it out. She walked out her front door and headed towards the driveway when she saw Steve lying on the ground. She gasped and rushed to his side. "Oh, sir!" She blurted out and she shrieked at the sight of him: the top of his head was all bloody and it was oozing down the sides of his face. "Sir! Can you hear me, sir?!" Mrs. Carter hollered.

"Y-yes, ma'am." Steve grunted. "I'm Lt. Sloan."

"I'm calling 9-1-1."

 _Great,_ Steve muttered under his breath, though his body felt awful right now.

"Are you hurting?" Mrs. Carter asked.

"Yeah." Steve retorted.

"Okay. Where?"

"My leg!" Steve answered gruffly. Mrs. Carter raised her eyebrows, expecting him to say his head.

"Denny! Call an ambulance!" She shouted back to her husband. "You live up the street on the corner, right?"

"Yes." Steve growled.

* * *

Kat had just changed into her dress clothes and was fixing her hair when she heard a loud pounding on the front door. "Stacy! Someone's at the door!" Kat yelled.

" _I can't answer it right now!"_ Stacy called back from the bathroom.

"Ugh," Kat rolled her eyes in annoyance. "I'm trying to fix my hair. Wait! It must be Jack! Jack's here!" Kat squealed with excitement and rushed to the front door. She quickly swung the door open, but instead of a friendly Jack Stewart, her 'big brother', she saw a tall, stout, short-haired woman standing there with a frantic look on her face. "C-can I help you?" Kat asked curiously, a bit disappointed that it wasn't Jack.

"Is your dad Lt. Sloan?" Mrs. Carter asked.

" _Yeah,"_ Kat answered cautiously.

"He's had an accident." Mrs. Carter explained, pointing down the street toward her house. "He's hurt!" Kat's eyes widened in fear and for a minute, she just stood there stunned. Then, just like that, she slammed the door and ran for Mark's bedroom.

Mark had felt so refreshed after his shower, had just combed his hair, and was smoothing out his face with after shave, getting ready to put on his neck tie when he heard a scared voice anxiously calling for him and footsteps rushing towards his room. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" Kat hollered as she burst into his room. Mark gaped in shock: she looked terrified and her face was white as a sheet. Mark immediately came over to her, touching her shoulder and felt her shaking. He knew something was definitely wrong.

"Kat!" He sputtered with concern. "What's the matter, honey? What's wrong?"

"D-Dad's hurt!" Kat blurted breathlessly. "He's had an accident!" Mark almost went numb. Those were the very words he always prayed against but always feared being said: that Steve was hurt. His heart pounded in ears and raced with fear. Then he gulped, trying to get hold of himself.

"Where?" He asked as calmly as he was able to. Kat ran through the house outside the front door to show him, and Annie ran after them. Mrs. Carter was there.

"I'll show you." She beckoned and they all ran to the Carter's yard.

"He was using the dirt bike." Kat explained as they scurried. Mark's pace accelerated when he saw his son lying on the ground, and bleeding! He dropped to his knees, horror pasted on his face, and reassuringly gripped Steve's shoulders. Steve's eyes were closed in a wince.

"STEVE! Steve, son can you hear me?!" Mark shouted loudly, shaking his son.

"I can hear you just fine, Dad." Steve said sarcastically. Mark blew out a breath of relief. Steve was conscious and coherent, with an attitude: that was a good sign. But who knew how long it would last? Steve's head was bleeding out onto the grass. Mark took his pulse, it was rapid.

"Are you hurting anywhere, son?" Mark asked with worry.

"My leg, Dad." Steve simply stated, glancing up at his dad.

"Which one?"

"My right one." Steve said. Mark and Mr. Carter carefully removed the heavy dirt bike off of Steve's leg and set it aside. Annie was staring down curiously at Steve and started licking his face, making him growl. " _Annie,"_ he griped. "Will someone get this dog off of me?"

"Kat, would you hold onto Annie?" Mark suggested. Kat nodded sadly and taking a hold of the dog's collar, pulled Annie to the side out of the way. She knelt down and ran her fingers through the dog's fur while Mark tried to examine his son. "Quick! Call 9-1-1!" He ordered.

"Ambulance is on the way." Mr. Carter said calmly.

"Steve, _are_ you hurting _anywhere else?_ Tell me!" Mark said firmly, gazing down sternly at his stubborn son. Steve sighed heavily.

"My whole right side feels like a big scrape." Steve groaned. Mark looked carefully into Steve's eyes, earning him a glare of irritation.

"How many fingers do I have?" Mark asked, holding up three fingers.

"Come on, Dad." Steve huffed, though he was in pain.

" _How many?"_ Mark glared.

"Uhm...four." Steve answered. Mark gasped: he was only holding up three fingers! Steve immediately regretted the unnecessary fear he'd just caused his poor, frantic father. "Okay, _three."_ Steve muttered. "Honest, Dad. I only see three." Phew. Mark glared.

"I ought to spank you, young man." He said sternly.

"Can't." Steve begrudgingly smiled in triumph.

"Can you move your arms or your legs?" Mark asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Steve mobilized his limbs and arms. Mark ran his hands softly along Steve's right leg, feeling for any dislocations.

"Okay, I don't feel any broken bones." He sighed. He pressed with his hands on Steve's stomach, checking for any aches or abnormalities. "Does that hurt, son?" Mark asked, hoping he wasn't causing his offspring more discomfort.

" _Noo,"_ Steve rolled his eyes. Mark chuckled, thankful for Steve's grumpiness, yet wondering if he was hiding a worse pain from him. He checked his thorax, not really finding any broken ribs. Steve tried to sit up. "Dad, just..." but he became horribly dizzy and plopped back down on the ground. He wouldn't admit it, but his head was pounding.

"You stay down, young man!" Mark declared sternly.

* * *

Jack Stewart excitedly pulled onto the familiar street in his car. It had been ten months since his last visit to his dear friends and he was looking forward to every minute of it. He was just about to pull into the Sloans' driveway when his eyes caught a commotion up the street. It looked like someone had had an accident. "Looks like it could be bad." Jack stated to himself. "They could probably use some help." He reversed his wheels and started heading toward the party when he saw a familiar white head of hair bending over a tall form on the ground. Jack's heart pounded: he'd know that white hair anywhere! He sped up and screeched to a halt as he reached them. Leaving the key in the ignition, he sprinted from his car. "Mark!" He exclaimed, coming up behind his mentor. "Mark, I'm here! What have you got?"

Mark turned to his old friend. "Oh, Jack, thank God you're here!" He gasped.

"Steve!" Jack yelled as he saw his best friend lying in the grass with a bloody head.

"Just simmer down, Jack." Steve huffed. "Don't go getting all hysterical on me."

"Yeah? Well, you just lie still and shut up, big shot." Jack scolded, secretly thankful for Steve's gruff manner. "Did anyone call an ambulance?"

"They're coming." Mrs. Carter answered.

Jack glanced over to Kat, who was standing to the side, hanging onto Annie. She looked all shook up, and was shivering with fright. He came over to her and gave her a big hug. Kat didn't want to let go for anything and clung to him tightly. "Hey, it's okay." Jack said soothingly. "Your dad's got his sass working, so that's a good sign." Kat nodded. She was worried though at all the blood she was seeing come out of Steve's head. "I'm here now." Jack smiled, keeping an arm around her. "It's gonna be okay."

Steve closed his eyes. His leg was still really hurting, and he felt like a beaten log. But it scared Mark. He was afraid his son was slipping into unconsciousness. "Steve!" He yelled. "Can you hear me?" he asked, shaking his shoulders.

"Dad, _really,"_ Steve pursed his lips. "I'm not deaf." Mark squinted at him. Just then, they heard the blare of sirens as the ambulance, a fire truck, and police car arrived.

"Ohhh, they're here." Mark's shoulders sagged with relief. "Jack, I'll go with Steve."

"Okay. Don't worry, Mark." Jack nodded. "I'll call Amanda and them and let them know. You want me to bring the girls to the hospital?"

"Yeah." Mark nodded. "Thanks, Jack."

"Aw, sure. Anything else you want me to do?" Jack asked, as the EMTs came over to them.

"Yes!" Mark agreed, realizing he'd left his other granddaughter back at home without telling her where they were. "Jack, go back to the house with Annie and stay with Stacy, and try to keep her calm. And no matter what, don't let her come down here."

"Yes." Kat added. "She's gonna be so freaked out."

"We sure don't need that." Jack said, heading back to his car. "Come on, Annie girl."

* * *

Stacy was cleaning the bathroom mirror, contentedly singing _Count Your Blessings, Name Them One by One._ Once she was through in here, she could change into some nicer clothes for their evening. She'd heard the muffled opening and slamming of doors, but didn't think much about it.

She finished and put away the cleaning items under the sink then came out into the foyer. Then for some unexplained reason, she had a strong feeling that she was the only one in the house. She didn't know exactly why, but it felt eerily silent and solitary. "Kat!" She called. "Hey, Kat!" No answer. She went into the kitchen but didn't see anyone. "Grandpa! Grandpa!" She looked in the bedrooms but didn't find anyone. Things were feeling very creepy. She didn't see Annie either. "Annie! Where are you, girl?!" Stacy called out in panic. _Maybe Annie got out and got hurt! Or she's wondered off!_ Stacy was always worried about the day their dog might wonder off and get lost or hurt bad. "Annie!" She ran to the stairs heading for the basement. "Dad?! Kat! Anybody?" No answer, nothing.

Stacy's heart raced. Something was going on, she could feel it. "Oh, please, God let Annie be okay!" She prayed. "Please help her not to have run away. Please, please..." Then she noticed the front door was open. "ANNIE! Come here, girl!" She called out from the foyer. She heard barking and Annie came bounding inside. "Oh, Annie. There you are!" Stacy sighed in relief, petting her dog. "You scared me. Okay, you're all right. But where is everyone?" She'd heard sirens a few minutes ago and wondered what they were for. "Maybe someone down the street got hurt and Grandpa went to help." Stacy thought aloud. "They sound awfully close though." Just then, an unexpected figure trotted up to the door. It was Jack. "Jack!" Stacy exclaimed excitedly. "Hi!"

"Hey there, kiddo." Jack smiled back, trying to remain evasive. He gave her a friendly hug.

"We've been looking forward to seeing _you."_ Stacy smiled widely.

"Me too."

"We've really missed you."

"Glad to hear it." Jack nodded casually. "I missed you all too."

"Jack, what's going on out there?" Stacy asked. "Has there been an accident?"

"Uh, yeah." Jack nodded a little too quickly. "But, it's all taken care of, so you don't have to worry about it. Your grandpa's trying to help. So, you just stay in the house, okay?" Stacy braced herself. It was odd the way he told her to stay in the house: it made her feel like a child when trouble was happening and she was kept aside to be shielded from it.

 _Okay, something **is definitely** going on! _Stacy thought. "Why?" she asked suspiciously.

"Just stay in here. Come on, why don't we check on the food?" Jack suggested, starting to lead her away from the doorway but Stacy stepped back away from him.

" _ **What's**_ going on, Jack?" Stacy asked adamantly. She didn't like being distracted from whatever problem was out there, like a little kid.

"Just, come on." Jack said vaguely. Stacy turned and headed out the door. "Hey, wait! Come back here!" Jack called, running after her.

"Something's wrong, Jack." Stacy declared, shaking her head as she stomped down the driveway. "You don't have to hide it from me. What..." She reached the end of the curb and gazed down the street. She saw Kat with folded hands held up to her face, and Mark bending over someone who was being strapped to a backboard. Stacy gasped in fright. "Oh no!" Jack caught up with her and gripped her shoulders.

"All right. There _has_ been an accident. But they'll take care of it. Now come on." Jack stated, trying to pull her back into the house. Stacy shoved his hands away and ran toward the group of emergency personnel. "Sta...STACY! Stacy, get back here! You...ugh." Jack rolled his eyes in exasperation, shaking his head and followed her.

Stacy slowed down as she came nearer to the accident scene. She raced over to Kat. "What happened?" She asked breathlessly. Kat was still shivering.

"Dad had an accident." Kat said. Stacy's eyes widened and she trotted to where Mark was, staying clear of the paramedics tending to Steve, but coming close enough where she could see the victim. Sure enough, there was her dad, flat on his back, being strapped down to a backboard, and his head was a bloody mess. A wave of adrenaline raced down Stacy's back at the sight of him.

"Stacy!" Mark exclaimed, wide-eyed. "Jack, I told you to keep her in the house."

"I tried, but she got away from me." Jack panted, with his hands on his hips, standing beside Kat.

"Stacy, I want you to go home." Mark said gently, touching Stacy's shoulder. Stacy just stared wide-eyed down at Steve.

"You stay absolutely still, Lt. Sloan." Homer, one of the paramedics said firmly. He was used to bringing Steve into the ER countless times and had grown accustomed to the detective's stubborn streak. "Don't make me be firm with you, you get me?"

Steve pursed his lips though his eyes were shut. "What choice do I have?" He replied sarcastically. "You guys are relentless. You don't have to hog tie me."

"You want a bet?" Stacy joked as she stood directly over her dad. _Okay, okay,_ she tried to calm herself in her thoughts. _He's conscious, he's coherent, he's being stubborn: those are good signs. He'll be okay._ "You be good." She smiled, but squinted at him. "You look a mess, but at least you're awake." Mark was astounded at how surprisingly calm Stacy appeared to be.

"Yeah, I was wearing my hard head." Steve said smugly.

"Well, we're praying for you, Dad."

"Thanks." Steve grinned. "But you should be praying for yourselves!"

"Oh, I _know_ we need it!" Mark agreed. "With someone as bull-headed and dare devilish as _you!"_ Steve chuckled, then he was lifted up onto the stretcher and loaded into the ambulance. "You girls ride along with Jack." Mark said. "I'll see you at the hospital." Then he jumped inside with his son.

"Okay, Grandpa." Kat and Stacy both said, then the ambulance drove away. They followed Jack back to the beach house. He was calling Amanda on the phone.

* * *

"Okay, baby." Amanda smiled, getting ready to pick CJ up out of his highchair. "Everything's ready and out in the car. Are you ready to go?" Then her pager went off. She smiled when she saw that it was Jack. "Hi, Jack."

"Hey, Amanda. Have you left yet?" Jack asked.

"I'm just heading out the door. Why? Does Mark need me to pick something else up on my way?"

"Uh, no." Jack said grimly. "Mark's heading to the hospital with Steve." At this point, Amanda gasped and almost dropped her phone. Any time she heard that Steve was on the way to the ER, though she'd lost count of how many times he'd been in there, it frightened her very much. Steve was a dear friend, and at times very much like an older, fun, brave, and at times very annoying big brother.

"What is it?" Amanda asked shakily, afraid of the answer. "I thought he had the day off."

"He did. He's had an accident with the dirt bike." Jack said. Amanda blew out a breath of half relief. Okay, so Steve hadn't been shot up, which was a blessing, but still.

"How bad?" Amanda asked.

"You know Steve." Jack slightly chuckled.

"Yeah, I do." Amanda nodded with a weak smile. As calm as Jack was, it was enough to let her know that Steve's condition probably wasn't life-threatening-thankfully-but still needed emergency attention.

"I'm bringing the girls to the hospital." Jack stated.

"Okay, I'll meet you guys there. How are they, Jack?"

"They're scared, but they're holding up."

"Okay." Amanda hung up and gathered her baby out of the high chair and headed for her car.

* * *

Inside the ambulance, Steve kept up his dry wise cracks-though his body was in searing pain-, scolding the EMTs for overreacting. Mark was all at the same time thankful but also annoyed at his headstrong son. He kept a firm, soothing hand on Steve's shoulder as he sat close behind him. Though Steve felt dead sore, and pathetic at appearing like such an invalid, he was truly grateful for Mark's silent, understanding presence. No matter how much Steve tried to pretend, he could _never_ fool his father when something was bothering him, physically, mentally, or emotionally. Mark did notice how Steve kept his eyes shut throughout a lot of the ride, determining that either he was in more pain than he was letting on, or the light was hurting his eyes, or both. Mark pulled out his cell phone and called Jessie.

Jessie was humming to himself as he loaded up his car with the soda bottles and board games. He smacked his hands together, then went back into his apartment to lock up when his cell phone rang. "Dr. Travis." He answered cheerfully.

"Jessie?" Mark asked.

"Hi there, Mark. Hey, sit tight. I'm just heading out the door."

"That's good, Jessie. Because I need you at the ER." Mark shook his head.

"What?" Jessie sputtered, his face growing serious. "Mark, what's wrong?"

"Steve's had an accident." Mark replied. Jessie's heart jumped in his throat.

"All right, I'm coming!" Jessie exclaimed, quickly locking his door and rushing to his car. "What have you got?"

"Trauma to the head, possible concussion, pain on entire right side of body, and severe pain in right leg. I haven't found any broken bones though."

"Okay," Jessie slightly sighed in relief. "Well, we'll see when he gets there. Is he conscious?"

"Yes." Mark said. "And coherent, and being a smarty," Jessie smiled at that comment, "but he is definitely in pain, Jessie."

"All right. I'll be waiting for you."

"Thanks, son." Mark smiled and hung up. He leaned forward again and stroked Steve's shoulder from behind. "We should be there quickly, Steve. Just sit tight, son. We'll get you fixed up."

"Mmm-hmm." Steve mumbled, keeping his eyes shut. "I'm sorry, Dad, for messing up our evening."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Steve. Nothing's as important as making sure you're all right." Mark smiled.


	3. Chapter 3 A Long Wait

"Yeah, alright." Jack spoke as he hung up on the phone. He'd just called Delores to inform her of the situation and that for the moment, dinner was put on hold and she'd also be praying. Jack glanced over at Kat, who was sitting in the front passenger's seat. She looked jittery. He reached his hand over and gripped her arm affectionately. "Hey, it'll be okay." He said quietly. "I've seen your dad hurt before, and take my word, this is one of his good days! I think he'll recover just fine." Kat remained silent. Jack's gesture of reassurance was more comforting than his words.

"Yeah. We've seen worse." Stacy piped in from the backseat. Jack glanced at her from the rear-view mirror. Normally, she'd be the shaken up one. He was very surprised at well she was holding up. In truth, she was worried, but she kept focusing on what she knew and kept praying. "At least he was conscious, and he was coherent, and he was making jokes. That's a good sign."

"Good for you who live with him," Jack interjected. "But not for the doctors who will be taking care of him."

"Yeah. That should be an interesting day in the ER." Stacy nervously chuckled, knowing very well how their dad would most likely behave at the hospital.

* * *

Mark was relieved when they finally reached the familiar ambulance doors of Community General. "We're here, Steve." He said. Steve nodded with a grunt but kept his eyes shut. He felt like a badly mangled road. Jessie met them as Steve was rolled inside. Soon he was in a bed after he'd been sent to X-ray and then a CT scan, plus he'd had to have five staples put in the back of his head and they made it feel like he'd played a little too close with a porcupine. He was attached to an IV, had been cleaned up and dressed in a hospital gown, and now waited for the test results. He was very grateful for the pain medication running through his system.

"You just can't stay out of trouble, can you?" Jessie joked in a scolding voice, standing over his patient with his arms crossed. Steve squinted at him.

"Speak for yourself." He retorted, and Mark couldn't help snickering.

"He's fine." Jessie shook his head. "If he didn't chew me out, _then_ I'd be worried!"

"I'd love to, Jess. But unfortunately, You won't let me have any fun." Steve whined.

"No, of course not." Jessie gloated. "Cause right now I'm having fun."

"Dad, could you get rid of this little pillow fluffer?" Steve groaned. "He's giving me a headache, and I've just been through a traumatic accident."

"Ha, ha!" Jessie pointed his index finger at him. "What trauma? You wouldn't be acting so cheerful like this if you'd been through a lot."

"You're _putting_ me through a lot!" Steve bantered. "And those staples you stabbed me with hurt like the dickens."

"Come on, Jess." Mark chuckled. " _You_ stay in that bed. Don't go anywhere!"

"Uh-huh. Real funny, Dad!" Steve hollered after them. "How can I go anywhere? You guys mollycoddle me every time I move!"

"Hey, don't make us use a straight jacket!" Jessie called back, laughing. "How I'd love to see that!"

"Shut up." Steve grinned to himself, rolling his eyes and staring up at the ceiling. He always hated being in the hospital and feeling tied down, and on today of all days! He berated himself for spoiling his family's good time. _And,_ worst of all, he _hadn't_ been wearing his safety helmet when it happened! Boy, was he in for a lecture, which made the prospect of this time in the hospital feel even more like a detention center. Suddenly, he heard Delores's voice! Steve instantly shut his eyes and pretended to be asleep, maybe she'd leave him alone this once, since he was so laid up. Her footsteps came closer and closer and Steve could feel her mischievous presence.

"Uh-huh." She rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "You ain't fooling nobody, big fella." She ranted. "Don't pull that innocent act with me. I know you ain't asleep. You're stuck here for now whether you like it or not. It's your own fault, you know."

"What do you mean _my_ fault?" Steve glanced at her with a frown. "Look, I wasn't doing any tricks at the time. I was rolling along, slowly and smoothly, within the speed limit. One second I was driving, the next second, I'm flat on my back. No bumps, nothing. End of story."

"A likely story." Delores squinted at him, unimpressed. "You weren't wearing your helmet, were you?" Steve stared at her.

"How do you know?" He retorted, then just realized his mistake! Dead giveaway, now he was really in for it.

"I've been around, I've lived a long time, and I've dealt with more than my share of foolish little hot shots trying to impress their buddies!" Delores answered. "And you look like something the hound dog's been hiding under the porch."

"Thanks. I wasn't trying to impress anybody." Steve growled.

"Nice try. People don't just hit an invisible wall."

"Well, today I feel like I did."

"No helmet. Humph." Delores shook her head. "Wait until your father hears about this."

"You wouldn't dare!" Steve blurted in horror. "Delores, look, you can poke and prod me all you want, but please don't tell my dad about the helmet. He'll kill me!" Steve looked so pathetic, like a school boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar. And that ruthless, evil grin of the nurse looking down on him made his injuries seem like a pleasanter alternative. And to make things worse, she chuckled a wicked giggle. "Delores, _please!"_

"How you gonna stop me? Get down on your knees and beg? I don't think so." Delores sneered, though the thought amused her. "You made the dumb choice, boy. And now you'll suffer the consequences." She started to walk away.

"How would you like to be charged with threatening an officer of the law?" Steve threatened.

"Ha, ha!" Delores threw her head back. "Fat chance."

" _Delores..."_ Steve persisted.

"When your daddy comes in, you'd better have a better story than that. Because after he's through with you, dealing with me is gonna seem like a more merciful experience!" The nurse laughed as she walked out.

"Now, _Delores!_ Delores?!" Steve called as he tried to sit up, but the pain on his whole right side restrained him. He sank back down on the bed, biting his lip. He knew the major scolding he was gonna get from Mark for not wearing his helmet, and the merciless teasing he'd get from Amanda, Jack, and Jessie about it. Yes, he deserved it, but that didn't mean they _had_ to poke fun at him. Well, he had one last hope: Stacy and Kat. Maybe, _just maybe,_ he could play on his girls' hearts strings and they'd feel sorry for him. Just then he realized what a bad headache he had and tried to sleep.

* * *

Jack arrived with Stacy and Kat and they walked into the familiar waiting room of the ER. Kat stared straight ahead, still shaken up by what had happened. Sure, Steve had gotten hurt in the past, but Kat and Stacy had almost never been present when it had happened. Only a handful of times had that ever happened. Jack sat next to Kat, put his arm around her, and she leaned on his shoulder. "Your old man's as tough as they come. Even more so." Jack said light-heartedly. "And I've seen much worse. He'll be okay." True, Jack had seen so much worse come through the ER when he'd worked here at Community General, but he also knew fully the serious consequences of casualties on dirt bikes. But he didn't want to alarm the girls. Kat wasn't comforted by his words. Words of affirmation was not her top list love language, but just Jack's physical contact, the soothing hug spoke more volumes to her than words ever could. Stacy glanced over at them and biting her lip, reached over and rubbed her sister's shoulder. She sighed heavily.

"I...I think Dad will be okay this time." She spoke up, trying to be positive. "I hope."

"I'm sure he will." Jack agreed. "I don't think a clunk on the head from his favorite toy would keep him down for very long." Stacy slightly smiled but Kat just remained quiet and leaned on Jack's shoulder. "Hey, it's gonna be all right." He whispered to her.

* * *

Steve was not asleep, but how he wished he was! He heard footsteps approaching his bed, and they weren't just _any_ footsteps, _and_ they were _not_ happy! Steve felt like a guilty little boy about to be interrogated, and if the pain in his body wasn't stinging him so badly, he almost _surely_ would've pulled the blanket over his head! But that wouldn't work either. So, he gritted his teeth hard with his mouth shut and kept his eyes closed, hoping to appear as convincing as possible that he was asleep. He even breathed much slower so he would seem to be lost in a luxurious slumber. He could feel the tension in the air as the people reached the room and he felt completely outnumbered by the stern haze that seemed to be hovering over him.

"Doesn't it seem odd to you, Mark, that Steve would be relaxing right about now, aware that he's in the hospital, and not making a fuss?" Jessie's too familiar, and too sneaky voice reached Steve's ears.

"Oh, definitely!" Mark agreed in a gruff voice.

"Maybe that conk on the head really knocked some sense into him." Jessie rambled on, grinning. "Maybe he should have these bouts a little more frequently, then we'd get to see his new pious patient profession when we need it."

 _You can stop talking now, Jessie!_ Steve thought. _My dad's ready swat me, and he doesn't need help! Least of all from_ _you!_

"Doesn't he look sweet?" Jessie teased.

 _I'm warning you, Jess..._ Steve growled inwardly.

"He's sleeping like a baby." Jessie remarked nonchalantly. "Aww. Doesn't he remind you of a little angel when he looks like that?"

 _I'm gonna wring your neck, Jess if you don't shut up!_ Steve nearly huffed in thought.

"Angelic isn't exactly the word I'm thinking of right now, Jessie." Mark grumbled.

 _Here it comes,_ Steve gulped.

"Fool hardy and disobedient are more of what I had in mind."

 _I take it that's not the end of the show,_ Steve thought. And he was right. Mark was not about to let him off that easy!

"Aww, come on, Mark." Jessie feigned sympathy for his patient. "Where's your sense of humor? You know, he looks so peaceful right now I think I'll dab his face with some baby oil..."

 _All right, that's it!_ Steve thought belligerently in a panic as his torso went rigid. _You're history, little fella!_

"Right now, Jessie, I don't care what you do!" Mark exclaimed. He was truly amused by Jessie's teasing and was very thankful for it, because right now he was ticked off with his only son and Steve could feel it heavily in the gap of air between them. He could hear the loud huffs Mark exhaled out. Steve knew he deserved a chewing out, but he hoped his dad would think he'd been through enough with what his body was enduring right now.

All too soon, Jessie returned. "All right," He smiled, talking professionally. He dabbed a cotton ball with baby oil."Now you just relax, boy. This isn't going to hurt a bit."

 _That's where you're wrong!_ Steve thought. _Stop it, Jessie! No, Jess! Don't! Freeze! Jess..._ Steve couldn't take anymore. His eyes opened wide and he quickly sat up, raising himself on his hands. He moved much too quickly and was immediately punished by the stinging pain on the whole right side of his body. "Jessie, you lay so much as a finger of that junk on me and I swear I'll make you pay!" He hollered.

"Aww. Come on, Steve." Jessie grinned cheekily, which dampened Steve's hopes of intimidation. "A big, tough guy like you, afraid of a little swabbing? Man, and I thought Norman's paranoia was bad!"

"Don't start." Steve growled. _Great, now he's comparing me to Norman. Just what I need._

"Just hold off on that for a minute, Jessie." Mark said firmly. "I want to have a word with my _son."_ Mark's emphasis on that word _did_ make Steve feel like a 7-year-old instead of the grown man and father that he was. Jessie pouted and stood back as Mark came closer. "Lay back down." Mark ordered. "I don't want to be looking up at you when I say this."

"Just take it easy, Dad." Steve frowned but obeyed because it eased the tension on his scraped skin.

"How many times have I told you to use your helmet?" Mark asked sternly. Jessie's eyes lit up.

"I _did,_ Dad." Steve huffed.

"Not when you got hurt, did you?" Mark prodded further. Steve pursed his lips. _"Did you?"_ Steve rolled his eyes but said nothing. However, Jessie couldn't help smiling. This new piece of information would make great teasing material when the time was right. His smug face was not lost on Steve, however.

"What are you grinning at?" He grumbled, sending Jessie a death glare.

"Nothing." Jessie chuckled. It was no use, he couldn't keep the smile off his face.

"Leave it there." Steve muttered.

"Steve, you know as well as I do the serious trauma and sometimes fatalities that can happen on motor vehicles from not wearing a helmet!" Mark exclaimed. "Why did you ride it without your helmet?"

"Dad, I _did_ wear the helmet!" Steve protested.

"But not when you got hit, did you?" Mark persisted. Steve bit his lip. "Son, we've been all through this! You could've been seriously hurt, or...or worse." There was a twinge of sadness in his voice that Steve detected and it made him feel guilty. Behind those superficial stern eyes was a clear cloud of dread as to what could've happened, and Steve would've never forgiven himself if he'd caused his dad deep grief from being reckless.

"Dad, I...I'm sorry." Steve said, a little more gently now. "I was dumb. I should've been wearing my helmet."

"I'll say!" Jessie piped in. Steve huffed but ignored him.

"But, Dad, I give you my word, I was _not_ being reckless at the time of the accident. I was driving along slow and steady, then I just flipped."

"A likely story." Jessie snickered. "Do you think we're gonna fall for that?"

"I didn't ask _you!"_ Steve retorted back.

"Think about it." Jessie continued. "People don't just drive along and hit an invisible wall."

"Well, I guess I just did." Steve sighed in resignation. All this brotherly bantering was actually making his head feel worse. "Anyway, any results from the tests yet?"

"Nope." Mark shook his head.

"I should've known." Jessie threw up his hands. "You Sloans always do seem to attract unusual scenarios. Just a typical day in the life of Steve Sloan." He smirked.

"Maybe." Mark stated. He was hoping he was only overreacting, but he started to have an uneasy feeling that this possibly could have been a deliberate attempt on hurting his son! He hoped he was just being an over-worried father, but Jessie had a point: people don't just drive along and hit an invisible wall. He gulped, trying to hide his unease and noticed that Steve was starting to retreat from his losing battle with Jessie. "You getting tired, son?" Mark asked, touching his shoulder.

"Eh," Steve grunted. "A bit. And my head hurts, which shouldn't be a surprise considering the compassionate bedside manner my attending physician has been torturing me with."

"I think we can let up now, Jessie." Mark said. "I'll go see if Jack and the girls are here yet. I'm sure they're very worried."

"Well, they shouldn't be." Steve said with his eyes closed. "You can tell them their old man is tough as nails."

"Huh. And stiff as a breadboard." Jessie grinned.

"Eh!" Steve stuck out his tongue, still with his eyes closed.

* * *

Amanda and CJ had arrived about ten minutes ago. She'd walked over to them and gave all of them hugs, then sat down after Jack told her they were waiting to hear word on Steve. Stacy told her all that had happened, at least her version of it, but Kat just sat close to Jack, quiet as a mouse. Mark finally appeared. They all looked up at him expectantly. "Mark, how's Steve?" Amanda asked anxiously.

"Is he okay?" Stacy asked.

"H-how's he doing?" Jack added.

"He's resting," Mark nodded calmly. "And seems to be doing well. We did have to put five staples in his head though." Jack squinted and Stacy cringed. Kat gulped.

"Ouch." Amanda moaned.

"Any results on the tests yet?" Jack asked.

"Nope. Still waiting." Mark shook his head. "But he doesn't appear to have any broken bones so far. I think he's gonna be all right." He gazed thoughtfully at Kat. She was looking up at him with a worried look again. "Kat, honey. You want to come see your dad?" He offered encouragingly.

"Mmm-hmm." Kat nodded and stood up, taking Mark's hand.

"We'll be back shortly." Mark smiled, trying to appear calmer than he felt. He decided that when he came back out to the waiting room, he'd have to ask Jack to check out the dirt bike and the street Steve had been riding on...just to be sure. Mark put his arm around his younger granddaughter. "You doing okay, honey?" He asked tenderly.

"It...it was so scary, hearing that Dad was in an accident, and then finding him on the ground like that." Kat stated nervously.

"Oh, I know, honey. Believe me, I know!" Mark agreed sympathetically. "But he's actually doing really good. We cleaned him up as best we could, but his head still might look a tad messy." Mark warned. They walked together into the room and over to Steve's stretcher. He had his eyes closed. "Steve? Steve." Mark spoke up, gently touching his shoulder.

"Hmm?" Steve grunted.

"Someone's here to see you." Mark said and Steve opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw his youngest standing there, though he felt guilty for causing the pained look on her face.

"Oh, hey, honey." Steve smiled. "So, did Jack eat all my candy corn yet?" He joked.

"No." Kat mumbled. She wasn't really in the mood for any jokes. Steve's reddish hair was all tousled and looked as if someone had done a sloppy job of combing it after he'd been pulled out of a shower. It was in various directions and kind of spiky. But there were small dried blood spots on his forehead where the gravel had grazed him. Kat thought back to when she'd heard he was hurt and what a mess he looked when she and Mark had rushed to him. She stared blankly at him.

"Good. Cause when I get out of here, I think I deserve a whole bag to myself." Steve smirked with his eyes shut. He tried not to move his head too much as the nit-picking staples felt like someone was constantly pinching the back of his head. Mark chuckled.

"Oh, I don't know about that." He shook his head. "Not when you broke the rules by not wearing your helmet."

Steve pretended to pout, then he snuck a look at Kat from under his eyelids. She wasn't amused by their teasing and just stared sadly at him. He grew more serious and spoke softly. "Hey, come here." He said. Kat stepped closer and Steve gripped her forearm. "Hey, I'm okay. I'm not going anywhere. Heck, they won't let me!" He chuckled but Kat didn't laugh. She'd been truly scared when she'd found out he'd been hurt and didn't like it being made light of right now. "Sorry." Steve sighed. "Hey, I'm gonna be just fine. Believe me, I've felt much worse!" Kat slowly nodded. "Come here." Steve said and Kat leaned down toward him for a warm hug. Steve's strong arm around her made her feel safe. "Look, I'm sorry if I scared you so bad." He said when she stood back up. "But I'm still here." Kat sighed heavily and Mark put his arm around her.

"It's all right, honey." He said. "Come on." They started to walk away when he turned to Steve. "Hey, don't go to sleep. You're gonna have more visitors." Steve waved him off.

* * *

"Hey, Jack!" Jessie greeted, holding out his hand as he entered the waiting room.

"Hey hey, Jess!" Jack smiled, standing up and shaking his hand in a friendly grip.

"Good to see ya around again." Jessie said.

"Yeah. The emergency room still keeping you on your toes...Short Stuff?"

"Now who are you calling Short Stuff?" Jessie frowned.

"Jessie, how is Steve really?" Amanda asked.

"Yes." Stacy nodded.

"A whiner." Jessie said with satisfaction.

"That _is_ a good thing...isn't it?" Stacy asked.

"Sure." Jessie smiled, touching her shoulder. "He's resting. We're still waiting on the results of the tests, but I think he's gonna be okay."

"I hope so." Stacy stated.

"You know, it's just like Steve Sloan of all people to end up in the ER, on a holiday." Jack commented.

"Here here." Amanda grinned. "So, Stacy? What are we all gonna do about dinner?"

"Hey, yeah!" Jessie's eyes popped out when he heard about food.

"I...I don't know." Stacy shook her head. "I hope we can still have everybody over, but Dad and Grandpa might not be up to it."

"Well, what else has to be done?" Amanda asked.

"The green bean casserole, the stuffing, pumpkin crunch, and my pie."

"Well, maybe we could help and still have a party." Amanda suggested, glancing up at Jack and Jessie. "What do you think, guys?"

"Mmm...sure." Jack nodded. "If we all pitch in, I think we Could pull off salvaging our party."

"I'm all for that." Jessie said, wide-eyed.

"All for what?" Delores asked as she appeared behind Jessie, startling him.

"We're trying to figure out if we should still have our celebration tonight." Stacy answered.

"But we could use a little help." Jack hinted.

"Heck, we're still having a celebration, girl!" Delores exclaimed to Stacy. "You daddy's alive. A bit of a wreck, yeah. But he'll be home before he knows it. And after all the money and effort I spent trying to make my feast contribution all perfect and pretty, I ain't about to stand by and watch it go to waste! And there's no way I'm gonna sit around watching TV and eating all that rich food by myself." Everyone laughed. Once Delores made up her mind, there was no point in even _trying_ to argue with her.

"But Mark and Steve might be exhausted." Amanda commented.

"So!" Delores interjected. "So what? It ain't like they'll be doing the getting ready, right? They don't have to lift a finger. They can just sit back and relax while we take care of all the pizazz."

"Well, I for one am not gonna take my life into my hands and argue with that!" Jessie chided. "We'll ask Mark when he comes back." He looked at Stacy. "You doing okay?"

"I guess." Stacy responded. "Maybe I'll feel better once I see Dad."

"You want me to take you to him?"

"I'll wait till Kat comes back."

"All right." Jessie nodded. Just then, the ambulance doors burst open and the paramedics scurried inside with an elderly woman on a stretcher. "What have you got?" Jessie called as he rushed to them.

"73-year-old female, unconscious. Weak pulse, unresponsive, possible dislocated hip and multiple fractures. A multiple car crash on the freeway. She was out when we got there. Have six more ambulances coming in. It's a mess." One of the EMT's explained.

"Sounds pretty bad." Jack commented as Delores rushed to help Jessie.

"Yeah." Amanda agreed. When the next ambulance team rolled into the ER, Jessie was still busy in trauma one with the elderly lady so Jack jumped in to help the next casualty. Mark and Kat were coming back from Steve's room when they noticed the chaos. Mark excused himself and hurried to lend a hand. Kat slowly walked back to the waiting area and sat down dejectedly. "Are you all right, Sweetie?" Amanda asked gently.

"I don't know." Kat moaned.

"How does Dad look?" Stacy asked.

"A mess." Kat stated simply. Stacy cleared her throat, figuring Steve must have looked pretty awful.

"Would you like to hold CJ for a while?" Amanda asked Kat.

"Sure." Kat smiled and reached her arms out for the baby. Amanda handed him to her and Kat cozily cradled him on her shoulder. Being useful and having close human contact was an incredible therapy to her right now.

"You want me to take you to see Steve, Stace?" Amanda offered.

"Uh...sure." Stacy nodded and rose to her feet. Kat assured them she'd be fine with CJ. After asking for Steve's room number, Amanda and Stacy arrived at his stretcher. "Hi." Stacy said quietly. An adrenaline wave raced down her back when she saw the top of Steve's head and his disorderly hair. Steve opened one eye.

"Hi." He cleared his throat.

"How are you feeling?" Stacy asked.

"Pinched, scalded, hog-tied, and mollycoddled." Steve muttered.

"Mph. Doesn't sound like fun." Stacy shook her head.

"What was the big idea, Steve?" Amanda pretended to scold. "You knew you were expecting company. Why did you decide to go and mess it up at the last minute?"

"It wasn't _my_ idea." Steve said defensively. "I was just having a little fun."

"Don't give me that old fuzz." Amanda said in mock sternness. "Any excuse will do." Steve pursed his lips. Stacy giggled at their exchange.

"Your head's all messy. I almost don't recognize you." She said.

"Do I look that bad?" Steve smiled.

"Yes." Stacy smiled back. Even so, she didn't like seeing Steve laid up either. He was always so get up and do something, liked to take charge, and be on top of the ball. It was hard seeing him not up and doing that. "Well, at least you're awake. I don't like to see you in bed like this though."

"Ahh. Finally, someone who cares about me. You wanna see Jessie's handiwork? You wanna see my battle scars?" Steve asked eagerly, starting to turn the back of his head though he gritted his teeth as he did so.

"Noo!" Amanda and Stacy both blurted out, cringing. "Please, no!" Stacy begged.

"No thanks." Amanda scrunched up her nose.

"Humph." Steve shrugged. "Come on, I've gotta find something interesting to do in here."

"Well, just think about all the food waiting for you at home." Amanda said in a suave voice.

"Mmm." Steve smiled like a little boy in an ice cream shop. "Now that does sound inviting."

"Well, we'll be sure to save you some." Stacy said. Then she and Amanda left Steve so he could rest.

* * *

Once the car accident victims had been settled, Amanda and Jack took Kat and CJ back to the Sloan's house to finish the preparations for their big dinner. Mark had taken Jack aside and asked him to check out the dirt bike for signs of tampering and the street or area around there for any abnormalities, for the sake of peace of mind. Stacy lingered in the ER, hoping to ride home with Mark and Steve and also be around in case Mark wanted a break. Mark went back to Steve's room and dropped into a chair, trying to catch his breath. "Dad, when can I go home?" Steve whined.

"Hopefully soon, Steve." Mark sighed. "But we still haven't gotten the test results back yet. We're still waiting on them. With all the crash victims that came in, it might be a while."

"I really am sorry, Dad. For spoiling our dinner." Steve moaned, looking at his dad with sad eyes. "I didn't want this to happen."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Steve." Mark gazed back at him fondly. "I'm just glad you're alive! Even if you are the worst patient I've ever had to deal with!" He teased. Steve couldn't help snickering.


	4. Chapter 4 A Reason to be Thankful

**Hope you had a blessed Thanksgiving! I did, though preparations were stressful. Hope you've enjoyed this story. I've tried to keep this as true to our dad's experience as possible, that's why poor Steve got staples in his head instead of stitches! As for the accident, for our dad there was no explanation! He didn't hit a pot hole, he wasn't doing silly tricks-at the time of the accident-, or anything! He said it was like he hit an invisible wall. But for your sakes, I guess I'll have to come up with an explanation. If you can think of or suggest a better one than what I put together, please PM me and I'll consider whether to alter it into the story or not.**

* * *

"You guys covered?" Jack asked Amanda and Kat.

"Sure." Amanda nodded.

"Yeah, well, I'll be back in a few. Have something I have to look into." Jack said.

"Where are you going?" Kat asked.

"I won't be far." Jack waved, and Annie eagerly followed him out the door.

CJ was sleeping right now, which gave the girls time to finish the preps. They finally sat down and rested their feet. It was now nearly seven o'clock! It had been almost over four hours since Steve had been brought to the hospital, and last they heard from Mark, they were still waiting for the test results. Amanda and Kat were snacking on some cheese and crackers, trying to tide themselves over till dinner. "I wonder if we should just postpone it till tomorrow." Kat groaned.

"Nah. Even if Steve has to stay overnight, we'll gladly join you and Stacy for dinner." Amanda smiled.

"I'm tired." Kat sighed.

"Yeah, me too. You okay?" Amanda asked.

"I don't know." Kat shook her head. Amanda smiled and stroked her friend's hair.

Remembering where he'd found his friends when he rode in, Jack was currently inspecting Steve's dirt bike at Mark's request. He sincerely hoped that Mark was only being overprotective, and that no one had deliberately tried to hurt Steve by causing him to have a serious accident!

* * *

Stacy was still in the waiting room with Delores. She'd been watching the many different folks coming in and out, those being rolled in as patients and those visiting them. She'd been praying a lot that Steve would be okay, and hoped that they would hear something soon. Mark appeared. "Well, Steve's sleeping right now, finally. But still no test results yet. Delores, why don't you take Stacy to get something to eat?" Mark suggested.

"Sure." Delores smiled. "You hungry, honey?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I am!" Stacy agreed. "Do you want something too, Grandpa?"

"No. I'll be fine." Mark shook his head. "But, thanks. And, Delores? You might want to go ahead and take Stacy on home. There's no telling how long we'll have to wait."

"Can we wait on that, Grandpa? At least until we get back from getting a bite?" Stacy requested.

"I suppose." Mark nodded with a sigh. This was so not how they had been planning to spend their holiday together!

"Should we pick up something for Jessie?"

"Sure."

Delores took Stacy to grab some fast food, in between incoming calls from Amanda and Jack. Stacy joked about how the fast food was quite an unusual Thanksgiving dinner. When they returned to Community General, Jessie came to meet them. "Any news, Jessie?" Stacy asked with a sigh.

"Uh-huh." Jessie smiled. "Finally got the test results back! With all the patients that were brought in from that highway pile up, the radiologist was pretty busy with all those tests, and he at one point, had gotten Steve's mixed up with someone else's. But I made sure we got his! Steve's gonna be just fine. You're not gonna believe this, but there were no broken bones, no brain damage, or anything like that! CAT scan and MRI's are all clear, so are the X-rays!"

"Really?" Stacy raised her eyebrows.

"Are you serious?" Delores gaped.

"I saw them myself." Jessie grinned. "He has a bit of a concussion. But otherwise, Steve has no more than a stapled head, a sprain on the entire right side of his body, and a second-degree burn on his right leg."

"All sounds pretty painful to me." Stacy interjected.

"Yes, it is. But, compared to what could've happened, I'd say he's in good shape."

"Well, that's a relief." Delores smiled.

"Yes, thank God!" Stacy agreed. "So, do you know if you're going to keep him or release him to come home?"

"I'll leave that up to Mark. I think you guys could go home."

"Okay. Tell Dad we'll miss him tonight if you decide to keep him."

"I will. And sorry about the long wait."

* * *

"Mark?" Jack called from his cell phone.

"Jack?" Mark answered.

"How's Steve?"

"He's resting, finally."

"He must be either pretty bushed or you dosed him with a strong zonker."

"Zonker?" Mark quipped.

"Any news yet?"

"Nope. Still waiting." Mark shrugged. "Did you find anything?"

"No, I didn't." Jack answered confidently. "Well, nothing that I would call a deliberated threat. I went over the bike with a fine tooth-comb, plus I scanned the area around for anything suspicious. No sign of tampering or foul play, Mark. Annie even helped me look. I found a rip in the front tire, and a smashed soda can got caught up inside it. Was Steve playing around on it beforehand?"

"From what I've heard, yes." Mark nodded.

"Well, then that's it then." Jack shrugged. "He must have torn the wheel on a seashell or something, then snagged up the soda can without realizing it. I, uh...found traces of sand on the tires. Oh, by the way, when was the last time Steve used the bike? Before today?"

"I don't know, Jack." Mark shook his head. "I can't remember. It's been months. _Why?"_

Jack chuckled. "He must have used up all the petro when he was out playing. Cause, he's totally out of gas. He must have forgotten to check it when he took it out."

"That doesn't sound like Steve." Mark said.

"Well, that's what the evidence points to. Ran out of gas, then the snag in the tire and... _KAPOW!_ Well, Mark? I think you can relax in knowing it's just a good old fashioned accident."

"You're sure?" Mark asked nervously.

"Positive. Listen, Mark, I've been around. Don't forget how I used to help you guys out. Take my word, Steve's accident was pure _accident."_

"Okay, thanks a lot, Jack." Mark sighed heavily in relief.

"Aww, don't mention it. Didn't you say he's been working too hard lately?"

"Beyond too hard." Mark said firmly.

"Well, maybe this is God's way of teaching him the meaning of the word _rest."_ Jack snickered.

Mark laughed. "I guess so. Thank you so much, Jack. That's a load off my mind."

"Aw, sure." Jack hung up.

Mark still had a difficult time accepting that the accident was pure accident when it appeared as if Steve had hit an invisible wall, but Jack's theory did explain that. When Mark told Steve the details, Jessie laughed and Steve grimaced. He squeezed his eyes shut and covered them with his hand. "I don't believe it!" He groaned. "I did check the fuel when I first took it out, but after I put my gear back in the garage and decided to ride a little longer, I completely forgot about it." He muttered in embarrassment.

"Hey, you could sue the city, Steve. Or at least the neighborhood." Jessie suggested.

" _What_ for?" Steve rolled his eyes.

"Littering!" Jessie exclaimed. "Everyone knows it's against the law to litter. And this case could be a real doozy."

"Get lost, Jess." Steve waved him off. "The captain wouldn't allow me to force anything like that. Besides, the guys at the station are gonna have a ball when they hear about _this!"_

"Steve?" Mark's eyes lit up. "How would you like to go home?" He patted his shoulder. Steve's eyes nearly popped out as he eagerly looked up at Mark.

"Ohh, can I, Dad?" He begged. "Are you sure I'm in shape to go?"

"I think so." Mark nodded. "No brain damage or broken bones in any of the tests. You've just got a sprained body on your entire right side, a burn on your right leg, and..."

"And a _sore_ head." Jessie finished.

"I could've told you that." Steve retorted to his friend. "No wonder my leg felt like it was on fire. Because it was!"

"Yes, but it's been dressed and treated, Steve. If we keep that up consistently, then you shouldn't have risk of it getting infected."

"At least, not with _you_ around." Steve said sarcastically. "Dr. Drill Instructor."

"Hey, I feel sorry for _him!"_ Jessie chirped. "You're beyond stubborn as a mule."

"I've had a good teacher." Steve squinted playfully at his father.

"Oh. Well, thanks a lot." Mark made a face. "Anyway, you have a slight concussion, but it should be okay."

"But, you really think it's safe for me to go home, Dad? I won't have to stay here tonight? Not even for observation?" Steve asked, his anticipation growing with each new question.

"Well, knowing you, you'll probably end up back in here sooner than planned anyway, with your convalescing record. And you'll have to be closely monitored at home." Mark scrunched up his nose.

Steve pouted. "Great. Just what I need: more mollycoddling."

"It's either that or this, Steve." Jessie said, satisfied that either way, Steve was gonna have to be watched as he recovered.

"But, for now, I think you're good to go!" Mark continued.

"Well, then why do you still have me fastened to this torture table?" Steve grumbled. "Come on, Dad. Let's get out of here! I want to go home and have dinner with my family, not in a stale old hospital bed." He started to quickly sit up, but the pain all through his right side of his body sharply reprimanded him. Mark and Jessie both pushed him back a little. "Aw, guys. Come on." Steve whined. "I wanna get out of this place. Dad, you said I could go!"

"Don't worry. You are." Mark said reassuringly. He was truly relieved himself that Steve was well enough to come home tonight-for once-instead of having to be kept in the hospital. And Stacy and Kat would be so glad, and they could all still spend Thanksgiving together! Mark removed the IV,-since his clothes had been ripped and bloodied Steve had to leave in his hospital gown-very embarrassing!-, and soon he was sitting in a wheelchair, ready to go home. "You know, this was not how I planned our holiday to go." Mark stated as he wheeled his son out into the hall.

"Yeah, I know." Steve sighed, hanging his head. "Dad, I really am sorry to have caused all this trouble. This wasn't the way I wanted to spend my vacation either."

"Steve, you don't have to keep apologizing." Mark smiled. "We're all just very grateful that things hadn't been worse!"

"Mmm-hmm!" Steve agreed wholeheartedly.

"Like I said, it wasn't what we planned. But...I'm not surprised."

"Dad, could we go through a back hallway or something... _please?!"_ Steve whined. "I don't want anyone to see me like this."

"It'll all be over soon." Mark said.

"Uh-huh. What'd you and Jessie do with my gun?" Steve glanced under his wheelchair and around it.

"Don't worry. It's in a safe place."

"Where's a weapon when you need one?" Steve grumbled, hoping and praying that they wouldn't run into any choice nurses or doctors who were unfortunate enough to be spending the holiday at their workplace.

Jessie ran up to them just as they were heading out the doors. "Hey, wait up!" Jessie called as he caught up to them.

"And where do you think you're going?" Steve pretended to be stern.

"Hey, your dad and daughters are gonna need all the extra help they can get trying to keep _you_ out of trouble!" Jessie cocked his head triumphantly.

"Oh, boy." Steve muttered. "I can see what a vacation _this_ is gonna be."

* * *

Delores and Stacy eagerly rushed inside when they made it to the beach house, informing everyone that Mark and Jessie were on their way home with Steve! Everyone was relieved and excited. "You guys haven't eaten yet?" Delores frowned.

"We were trying to hold out." Amanda said.

"You poor things must be starving!" Delores scolded.

"Hey, we've got crackers and dip." Jack shrugged, eating some from his plate. Annie was eagerly watching him, hoping his paper plate would slip and his snack would fall to the floor.

"Well, honey. You can relax. Your daddy's gonna be fine." Delores smiled, with her arm around Kat's shoulder. She grinned slightly.

"Jack told us how the accident must have happened." She said. "I'm glad Dad can be home with us tonight."

"You won't be glad for long." Jack muttered between bites. "Once everybody's left the party tonight, you all will be stuck in the house having to put up with his fits and complaining as he recovers."

"What do you think you're telling them, Jack? Something _new?"_ Amanda complained.

"We're used to it." Stacy chuckled. "How long do you think he'll be laid up?"

"That was a nasty head on collision he took this afternoon." Delores stated. "If my calculations are correct, he could be out of work for about...oh, a month or two?"

"I'm glad I have my own little man to keep me on my toes." Amanda smirked.

"So, how is your dad when he's laid up?" Jack grinned at Stacy and Kat. "Is he one of those big babies?"

"Oh, no! No, no! No way!" The girls laughed wide-eyed.

"You forget who you're talking about, Dr. Stewart." Delores added.

"No, he is NOT a baby when he's sick. He's a grouchy old bear." Stacy smiled.

"Yep. He's a handful." Kat nodded.

"Well, don't worry, dears." Delores said. "I'm gonna make sure you get plenty of help in keeping him down."

"Thanks."

* * *

The group was attempting to finally fill their plates with the much longed for feast when Annie ran to the front door barking. "They're here!" Stacy hollered and everyone gathered into the foyer. CJ was lying down in the playpen, so he'd be okay. Amanda opened the door as Mark was gingerly assisting Steve inside, with Jessie close behind.

"Well, look who's here!" Jack announced as they made their way inside. "Look who escaped the torture chamber."

"Literally." Steve muttered sarcastically.

"Will you guys quit shooting down the fruits of my hands?" Jessie groaned. Jack grinned at him then helped Mark.

"Will someone get this dog out of the way?!" Steve growled as Annie, excited to see her favorite person, was practically under his legs every step he took.

"Man, this fur-ball is all over the place." Jack grunted, trying not to trip over the enthusiastic canine.

"Girls, call Annie will you?" Mark asked in exasperation.

"Annie! Come." Kat said firmly. "Come here." But the Australian Shepherd ignored her and kept trying to get Steve to pet her. Kat finally grabbed her collar and pulled her back.

"I know, you're happy Dad's home." Stacy sighed, petting Annie's head.

"Where do you wanna be, Steve?" Mark asked.

"Just set me on the couch, the one near the glass doors." Steve nodded. "If I'm gonna be chained to a bed, I at least wanna have something worth looking at."

"Right." Mark chuckled. Amanda brought a bedroom pillow and set it upright against the smaller one on the sofa, leaning up against the arm. She also set a couch pillow on the other end so Steve could elevate his burned but bandaged leg. Jack and Mark gently set Steve onto the couch and carefully set his leg on the pillow. Steve winced with clenched teeth as he made a feeble attempt to get comfortable. He finally found a position that was doable, not comforting but at least manageable. Once he found the right spot, he was not gonna move at all. "There. How is that?" Mark asked. Steve grunted in return. "You all right, Steve?" Mark asked.

"I'll live." Steve pursed his lips. Mark stood up straight, arching and rubbing the kink out of his back. When he looked up, Steve was totally surrounded by his family and friends. " _What?"_ He huffed. "I don't look _that_ gruesome, do I?"

"Eh, I suppose I've seen worse." Jack shrugged. "You don't exactly define road kill." Amanda slapped his arm.

"That's not funny, Jack!" She scolded.

"Oh no? Jessie thinks it is." Jack squinted.

"Jessie has a warped sense of humor." Steve smirked with his eyes closed.

"Ah, ha, ha, ha, ha." Jessie snickered sardonically. "He thinks he's so funny. Well, I don't know about the rest of you but I'm starving!" He headed straight for the kitchen.

"Now that sounds inviting!" Mark sighed hungrily. He glanced at Steve, it was apparent-for once in twenty years-he wasn't going anywhere. So Mark followed Jessie.

"I feel like a sideshow freak." Steve rolled his eyes, wishing he was in normal clothes, not showing his hairy ankles, and in a cave away from snooping eyes.

"You do look kind of sweet in that gown." Delores said with her hands on her hips.

"Arrghh! So cruel." Steve groaned loudly. "What ever happened to that Hippocratic Oath thing about making the patients feel better? Dad, I demand a transfer!"

"Hey, you hang in there, bud." Jack gave Steve a friendly nudge on the back of his head.

"Ohhh!" Steve moaned. "Get out." He sighed and Jack went to get some food. Annie forced her soft head under Steve's left hand and he finally stroked her. "Hey." He actually smiled. "So what do you think, Annie girl? Do I look like one of your outdoor 'surprises' you dragged into the house from time to time?" Annie just licked his face, making him actually giggle a bit. Amanda, Stacy, and Kat smiled, watching.

"Are you hungry, Steve? Do you want me to get you a plate?" Amanda offered.

"Mmm. That actually would be very nice after all I've been through today. Thanks, Amanda. Yes, I would like some food." Steve smiled warmly. "At least someone understands my misery."

"What would you like?"

"Oh, just bring me a bit of everything." Steve shrugged. "But, uh...not too much, _please._ According to Dad I won't be running any foot races soon, and I don't want to have to expand my wardrobe size by the time I'm back on my feet!" Amanda laughed and patted his shoulder then walked away.

"We're glad you're back, Dad." Stacy remarked.

"I'm glad you didn't have to spend Thanksgiving in the hospital." Kat said.

"Yeah, me too!" Steve agreed. "Look, I'm sorry I scared you girls and almost ruined our happy night. I really didn't mean to. I didn't want you to be frightened. I'm sorry."

"Oh," Stacy waved him off, "it was an accident. We're just glad it wasn't worse, and tonight we're all here. It'll still be fun."

"Oh yeah. Real fun." Steve teased, knowing how much fun everyone else would most likely have at his expense!

"Grouchy." Stacy squinted at him. "But, really. I'm glad you're okay."

"Me too." Steve said, more softly now.

"If Mom was here, she'd make you get rid of the bike." Kat stated.

"Are you gonna get rid of the bike?" Stacy asked.

"I should, shouldn't I?" Steve quipped. "I've had it for a long time, and this is the first time it's gone wacko on me."

"The _first_ time?" Stacy raised her eyebrows. "Is that really true?"

"What, you don't believe me?"

"It's true." Mark spoke up as he appeared. "You know? Your grandma was furious when I got that bike for your dad. She kept telling me he was gonna get hurt or killed. Then we couldn't pry _her_ away from playing with it!"

"Really?" Kat chuckled.

"No way!" Stacy added.

"She ended up with thirty stitches." Steve said, grateful his girls were not mercilessly teasing him like everyone else...well, at least not yet.

"Steve, really? She did?" Jessie sputtered as he returned to the living room, eating a very healthy amount of green bean casserole and mashed potatoes.

"Uh-huh." Steve nodded.

"I just can't picture Grandma riding around on that thing," Stacy said.

"There's some pics in the photo album." Mark said.

"Steve, you've got to keep the bike." Jessie protested. "How can I have fun if you get rid of it?"

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "How do you expect Shorty to stay in business if you stay off the streets?" Jessie frowned at him.

"I never thought I'd say this..." Steve said ominously, "but now I _am_ coming that close to getting rid of it."

"All right, boys... _kids."_ Mark cleared his throat, enjoying every minute of the bantering between his 'children'. "Steve _has_ had a rough day and he needs rest. I think you've stuck enough pins in him."

" _Thank you."_ Steve huffed, grateful for a rescue.

"And don't you guys say that you were just getting started either." Amanda scolded as she came to the couch with Steve's dinner.

"Right." Stacy said her arms crossed.

"Dad, do you want a tray or something?" Kat offered.

"I'm not _that_ helpless." Steve chided.

"Just asking." Kat moaned.

"No...thank you." Steve said, more softly. "Thanks, hon, for the offer, but I'm fine." Stacy and Kat went to get their own plates. Everyone had finally calmed down and Steve was temporarily relieved of being constantly teased. At one point, he tried to rise from the couch so he could get some dessert but was pushed back down by almost everyone.

"Where do you think you're going?" Delores asked sternly.

"To stretch my legs," Steve huffed. "Unless of course that's become recently been ruled out as a crime by the city council."

"Nuh-uh. You're staying right there!" Delores ruthlessly pinched his shoulder, forcing Steve back down onto the couch.

"Who o-hoo-hoo." Jack gaped giving the nurse a thumb's up.

"Nice touch, D." Jessie praised, wide-eyed.

"Well, you know what the Good Book says." Delores laughed.

"What does _that_ have to do with _this?"_ Steve rolled his eyes.

"Where have you been, boy?" Delores scolded. "Don't you know your Bible? Psalm 23: _'He **makes** me to lay down in green pastures.' _When David wrote that psalm, the good Lord knew what He was doing. If someone as mule-headed as you won't rest when he needs it, God will make you rest. If you played it smart, you'd quit being so rebellious and just get some rest."

"Uh-huh." Steve said skeptically.

"Steve, what would you like?" Amanda offered again.

"A couple cookies, some candy corn, and a slice of pumpkin pie." Steve sighed.

"Okay." Amanda smiled.

Steve groaned lounging on the couch. He hated being waited on hand and foot. "I feel like a roasted pig being fattened up for the banquet. What are you going to do next? Stick an apple in my mouth?" With that, Jessie shoved a whole roll into his mouth! _You're gonna pay for this, Short Stuff,_ Steve thought to himself, hoping he didn't look as ridiculous as he felt.

"Okay, that's enough, Jessie." Mark chuckled.

* * *

Eventually, everyone else left for home except Amanda and Jack. Amanda helped the girls with the dishes and stored away the food while Jack made ready his little guest room in Steve's old apartment downstairs. Steve wouldn't admit it, but it had been a lively evening, and...fun. But he was glad that things were starting to mellow because he was exhausted and so was Mark. Everyone was so thankful that Steve was home and with, compared to what could've been so much worse, 'minor' injuries. After all that worry for his well-being and waiting for hours to know if he was going to be okay, everyone was emotionally and mentally weary. Annie hadn't left Steve's side since he'd been brought home. Stacy and Kat finally returned to the living room and crashed. "Ohhh," Stacy sighed. "My feet are so sore."

"I'm so tired." Kat whispered. "I'm almost ready for bed!"

"Me too." Steve said.

"How's your head, Dad?" Stacy asked.

"Eh," Steve shrugged. "Hey, anyone like to see my battle scars?" He teased, acting like he was gonna remove the bandage from around his scalp.

"Noo!" Stacy and Kat groaned. "So, Grandpa? What would you have done if Dad had had to stay overnight?" Kat asked.

"Oh, I probably would've stayed with him, and tried to pull off some way for us to have Thanksgiving dinner." Mark smiled.

"Any candy corn left?" Steve poked his head over the couch, looking around.

"Yeah, there's some." Stacy said.

"Kat, would you get me some, sugar?" Steve requested.

"Oh, I'm so tired." Kat pleaded.

"I'll get it." Stacy shook her head, rising to her feet. "So, who's gonna take us Black Friday shopping tomorrow?"

"What?" Steve's eyes nearly popped out. "You two are actually going to attempt to do that crazy thing?"

"It's fun." Kat argued, slightly more awake now.

"Uh-huh. Buying the newest, biggest, shiniest glamor item that's been advertised every five minutes for the passed eight months," Steve ranted. "Which will only be returned in less than twenty hours."

" _Not_ if you know what you're looking for." Stacy corrected him as she brought him a small plate of candy corn.

"Why does everyone have to join in the Christmas commercialism?" Steve muttered.

"Hey, if you buy some of the things now that you're planning to give someone for Christmas," Stacy began.

"Think of all the hassle and money you'll save next month." Kat finished.

"Yeah!"

"You know, Steve? They're right." Mark agreed. "Especially if you know exactly what you're looking for, and know where to find it."

"Whatever." Steve grunted. "Just don't spend it all at once...or in one place...please!"

"Dad, you guys taught us better than that." Kat said.

"Yeah, what do think we are?" Stacy asked, half-amused, half-annoyed.

"Females who like to shop." Steve said.

"Well, I for one am gonna stay safe by the hearth." Jack spoke up as he entered the living room. "Nothing I hate worse than Christmas shopping, especially Black Friday shopping! Except maybe, dealing with lawyers."

"Well, we for one, like our Christmas shopping and are gonna have a good time." Kat interjected.

"That's right!" Stacy said.

"Mind if I join you?" Mark asked.

"Sure! It'll be more fun."

"Dad, must you encourage them?" Steve sighed.

"Call us sticks-in-the-mud, but I'll stay here and nurse the invalid." Jack said, patting Steve's shoulder.

"You make me sound so pathetic." Steve glared.

"And just think, it'll give you guys lots of time to catch up with each other." Mark stated. The girls nodded in agreement.

"Well, then I guess it might not be too bad." Steve mentioned.

* * *

After the girls and Jack said good-night, it was just Steve, Mark, and Annie together in the living room. "Well, son? It's been quite a day!" Mark exclaimed.

"I'll say." Steve nodded then yawned. "I think I'm finally getting drowsy."

"Me too." Mark stood up and stretched. "You wanna sleep out here tonight?"

"Not really." Steve rolled his eyes. Mark gingerly helped his strong son into his own bedroom and made sure he had pillows to elevate his leg. He tried to make Steve as comfortable as possible, for all the good it did.

"How's that?" Mark asked.

"Terrible." Steve answered.

"Oh, sorry. I can get you another pillow."

"Nah. I'll just have to endure it."

"You sure?"

"Mmm-hmm. Just go to bed, Dad. I'll be fine." Steve smiled.

"Anything else I can get you?"

"No. I already had my dose of painkillers, so I think I can survive for seven hours."

"Okay," Mark said uncertainly. "Look, if you need anything, _anything,_ just give me a holler. I'll keep my door open."

"Thanks, Dad, but I'll be okay. Really. You get some rest. You've had a long, trying day." Steve said reassuringly.

"All right, son." Mark patted his shoulder before walking away. "Good-night."

"Good-night." Steve sighed, trying to rest amongst all his cushions.

"Oh, and, Steve?" Mark turned back.

"Hmm?"

"Good to have you home. I'm so glad you're okay." Mark gazed thoughtfully at him.

"Well, for your sake and Stacy's and Kat's sakes, so am I." Steve replied. Annie slept on the floor next to Steve's bed. He looked around his bedroom, pondering deeply. Then he chuckled to himself. "Thankfully, our girls have a lot more mercy than you would!" He said to his long deceased Julie. "You'd be furious at me if you'd been here today. And _no,_ I'm not getting rid of the bike, Julie. Sorry, hon, but I'm not. You can vent to the Lord about it up there all you want, but while I'm down here, I'm gonna keep the bike." He snickered. "And don't worry, I know what you're thinking. I won't let the girls play on it...I give you my word! Stacy tried once but it conked out on her before she could get too far, which is probably a good thing. You probably put the Lord up to that, didn't you? Don't play innocent with me, woman, _I_ know better!" Then he grew serious. "Happy Thanksgiving, honey. I love you, and I miss you." Steve whispered.

In his own bedroom, Mark was having a similar conversation. "I admit, I was scared at first, but now I realize that this is one of those minor troubles Steve gets himself into." Mark laughed. "I'm just glad none of us saw it happen! Sweetie, I know it would've been so much nicer if Carol had been able to come and spend the holiday with us, but at least you can relax knowing that we're all on better terms now than we were." Mark smiled wistfully. "Happy Thanksgiving, Katherine. It's been a long day. Love you."

* * *

Weeks later, Steve was...well, _Steve._ He was still the flustered, stubborn patient but the scars on his body kept reminding him of how tragically different things might have been had his injuries been more forceful. Everyone was thankful that things hadn't turned out worse. "You know, to be honest, you've all been more merciful to me than Mom and Julie would've been if they were here!" Steve remarked one day after another of his arguments with his dad about how he was rested enough to go back to work.

"Just hold that thought." Mark said firmly. "Makes me feel more like a nurse than a principal, doesn't it?"

Unfortunately, Steve did suffer some post concussion syndrome weeks after the accident. One day he was driving the family home from church, on the Pacific Coast Highway, and for a dazed moment asked where they were, though he didn't stop in the middle of the road. They stared at him and told him that they were on the PCH, Steve shook his head to collect his thoughts and managed to get them home safely despite Mark's warnings to pull over and let him drive. After running tests, it was confirmed that Steve did indeed have a minor case of post concussion syndrome. It wasn't the end of the world, but it was a definite closure that he was clearly in no shape to even think of heading back onto the streets fighting crime for a while! Steve was frustrated, but gradually the symptoms wore off and he could think straight again.

Thanksgiving Day that year had been eventful for the Sloans, but what else could one who knew them well expect? It had been full of emotions and physical fatigue, but it was definitely a holiday that none of them would ever forget! And, it reminded them once again that they had so much to be thankful for.


End file.
